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Topic: First visit by a curious Catholic. (Read 3077 times)

Hello everyone I have just returned from my first visit to the Divine Liturgy and I loved it. First a bit of background; I was raised a Roman Catholic, became disinterested as a teenager and returned as a twenty-something (pretty common story). The more I learned about Catholic history (namely papal issues) the more I began feeling troubled about my beliefs. Learning about Orthodoxy made it seem like the perfect fit, and I became very attracted to the Litrugy, icons, saints and music. I still attend a Catholic mass but I was becoming more and more curious about attending the Divine Liturgy.

So fast forward to this morning, I found that I am only a short drive to a small Greek Orthodox monastery, and lo and behold they are having a Liturgy this morning. There was a priest, two nuns and one other woman in attendance (thank God for her otherwise I would have been totally lost). The Liturgy was beautiful, it was 80% Greek but I tried to absorb myself in the sights around me and keep in prayer. The Liturgy ends and the priest comes out with a basket of bread (only the nuns took communion). He offered it to me and I paused and said no, I was under the impression I couldn't take it, and the woman next to me began telling the priest in Greek what I assume was "He's Catholic, it's his first time etc", and he smiled, asked me how I liked the Liturgy and explained I could take the bread. He than told me I was welcomed to go next door for some coffee (wish I went but I had work...). I left with the woman and she explained to me the rules of fasting and how this bread was for the people who do not fast.

So here are my questions. What exactly was the bread I was given? Is it purely symbolic, or was it actual communion? Is there a Missal or a book available that will translate and explain what is going on in the mass?

I plan on going again this Sunday and hopefully Saturday night for vespers if I can get off of work.

Antidoron (from Greek, meaning "instead of the gifts"; in Arabic, qurban) is the remaining bread from a loaf of prosphora after the Lamb has been removed for the Holy Eucharist. In Byzantine practice, it is blessed during the megalynarion to the Theotokos immediately after the epiclesis in the Divine Liturgy and is given by the priest to the faithful after the service. Historically, it was distributed only to those who had not received 'the Gifts', Holy Communion so that they would receive a Blessing in place of Holy Communion but this practice has changed over time and all those present at the Divine Liturgy receive Antidoron as a blessing.

I haven't really seen any missals per se. We do use service books, such as The Divine Liturgy by Fr. George Papadeas, which explains the liturgy step by step in Greek and English (if you should choose to go to a Greek parish). The day's Bible readings are posted at the Archdiocesan website, if you want to look up the readings for daily use at home. I hope that helps a little.

Once again, welcome. Glad you're here.

« Last Edit: November 01, 2010, 12:04:37 PM by biro »

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Welcome, aoc. Thanks for sharing your story, and I'm glad you had a friendly reception. As biro says, the bread you were offered is antidoron. I've heard conflicting information about who is allowed to take the antidoron, but at all the parishes I've visited, it's given to everyone, Orthodox or non-Orthodox alike.

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Thanks for the replies and welcomes! I was very pleased to see just how welcoming everyone was today at the Church. I have made the grave mistake of believing some loud anti-Catholic forum members are representative of the Church population, and for that I apologize.

So if I understand correctly, the bread is blessed by the priest but not the actual body of Christ?

Thanks for the replies and welcomes! I was very pleased to see just how welcoming everyone was today at the Church. I have made the grave mistake of believing some loud anti-Catholic forum members are representative of the Church population, and for that I apologize.

So if I understand correctly, the bread is blessed by the priest but not the actual body of Christ?

Thanks for the replies and welcomes! I was very pleased to see just how welcoming everyone was today at the Church. I have made the grave mistake of believing some loud anti-Catholic forum members are representative of the Church population, and for that I apologize.

Oh, dear. Please understand that it is the nature of the internet and most especially internet forums to bring the most contentious elements in our personalities to light. With perhaps one or two exceptions the most "anti-Catholic" forum members would be the most welcoming to inquiring Catholics, and not in a gloating "we're right" manner.

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So if I understand correctly, the bread is blessed by the priest but not the actual body of Christ?

That would be correct. All bread used in the Liturgy is blessed, most often during Vespers the night before (some parishes which might not have Saturday night Vespers services will have the priest doing a "behind the scenes" blessing during Orthros). During the Liturgy the priest will actually cut out the portion of the bread that will become the Eucharist, what bread is left remains blessed but is not the Body. The Body is put into the chalice along with the Blood and the Eucharist is served in it's entirety (that is, both the Body and the Blood at once) to the faithful from a spoon.

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Ahh, makes much more sense now! As I alluded to earlier, is there some kind of translation available of the Greek Mass similar to a "missal" (although I know you would not call it that)?

The "Orthodox missal," for the eastern Divine Liturgy, would probably be a Liturgikon which contains the texts of the main liturgies used in the Church (St. John Chrysostom, St. Basil, and the Pre-Sanctified Liturgy of St. Gregory). However, the Orthodox liturgy is longer and more complicated than the Western mass, so I don't think we are able to produce a single volume that is quite as complete as the missal is for western purposes.

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That would be correct. All bread used in the Liturgy is blessed, most often during Vespers the night before (some parishes which might not have Saturday night Vespers services will have the priest doing a "behind the scenes" blessing during Orthros). During the Liturgy the priest will actually cut out the portion of the bread that will become the Eucharist, what bread is left remains blessed but is not the Body. The Body is put into the chalice along with the Blood and the Eucharist is served in it's entirety (that is, both the Body and the Blood at once) to the faithful from a spoon.

Here is a picture of a prosphora, the bread that is used for the Eucharist.

During the proskomedia (liturgy of preparation), the priest cuts a piece out of the center of the prosphora that is called the Lamb. It is the piece that will become the Eucharist, pictured here.

The bread that is remaining after the Lamb is removed from the larger prosphora become the antidoron, or blessed bread that is given after the liturgy.

Who knew bread could be so beautiful??? Thanks for the links ialmisry, I'm especially to read the page about the Bible in the Divine Liturgy. The monastery was called All Saints Greek Orthodox in Calverton, New York. I live about a half hour a way and it is tucked deep in the Long Island farm land. The sign outside the monastery says it is part of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese, but I couldn't find them listed on the GOA site.

Who knew bread could be so beautiful??? Thanks for the links ialmisry, I'm especially to read the page about the Bible in the Divine Liturgy. The monastery was called All Saints Greek Orthodox in Calverton, New York. I live about a half hour a way and it is tucked deep in the Long Island farm land. The sign outside the monastery says it is part of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese, but I couldn't find them listed on the GOA site.

I think it wasn't listed because it's a pretty new monastery. Two of the nuns (I think there are 3 at the monastery) are schoolmates of mine from Holy Cross (well, one was in the college, the other in the theology school); I've heard the monastery is nice.

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I think it wasn't listed because it's a pretty new monastery. Two of the nuns (I think there are 3 at the monastery) are schoolmates of mine from Holy Cross (well, one was in the college, the other in the theology school); I've heard the monastery is nice.

I am Greek Orthodox, and it has helped me to read theDivine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom published by K-Line Press, Mt. Prospect, IL. Fr. Emmanual Manousos Lionikis was involved with the translation, and there is a glossary in the back.

I am also a Catholic who have visited Orthodox Church several times. Over time I get more and more interesting, but now that I'm in Indonesia (i was in Singapore before), it's harder for me to find an Orthodox Church. Yes, I know they exist, but I do not have a detailed adress, and I have absolutely no idea how to find them.

I am also a Catholic who have visited Orthodox Church several times. Over time I get more and more interesting, but now that I'm in Indonesia (i was in Singapore before), it's harder for me to find an Orthodox Church. Yes, I know they exist, but I do not have a detailed adress, and I have absolutely no idea how to find them.

I see everyone answered your questions, but I just wanted to say welcome to the forum, from a former Catholic. I also left Catholicism as a teenager, but was converted to a Protestant group, and then, finally, to Orthodoxy. I pray that God guides you!